In general, commonly used portable devices have various functions including, for example, a video call function, information input/output function, data storage function as well as a simple voice call function.
With recent diversification in the functionality of portable devices, in particular, portable devices (hereinafter, also referred to as portable communication devices) have been provided with a variety of applications. In addition to a call function, specifically, recent portable devices may function as a storage medium containing personal information or other credit purchase information and also, may exhibit even somewhat complex functions, such as a picture or moving image capturing function, a music or moving image file reproduction function, a game playing function, a broadcast receiving function, and the like. In addition, multimedia devices that combine the aforementioned functions have been developed.
Portable devices are provided with various shapes of connection modules, which correspond to various connectable devices required to implement the above described various additional functions. Examples of these connectable devices and connection modules may include USB (Universal Serial Bus) ports for data reception/transmission and other input/output ports for connection of input/output units for signal interface, such as earphones, remote controllers and televisions.
With reference to FIGS. 5 and 6, a known connection module 1, as disclosed in Korean Patent Application No. 2007-0054532 (entitled “Connection Module for Mobile Communication Device”), is shown. In the known connection module 1, connection terminals of a USB (Universal Serial Bus) connection terminal unit 42 and of an input/output connection terminal unit 46 are configured to have different lengths and are installed at different heights within a case 20.
More particularly, of the shown connection modules, the USB connection terminal unit 42 is used to be connected to connection terminals of a USB plug, and the input/output connection terminal unit 46 is located beneath the USB connection terminal unit 42 so as to be stepped with the USB connection terminal unit 42 and is used to be connected to connection terminals of an input/output plug.
The USB connection terminal unit 42 includes a plurality of USB connection terminals 44, which are contained within an upper region of the case 20 so as to penetrate from a front end to a rear end of the case 20, a lower surface of a tip end of each USB connection terminal 44 being exposed so as to be connected to a corresponding connection terminal of the USB plug.
The input/output connection terminal unit 46 includes a plurality of input/output connection terminals 48, each of which is inserted into an receiving passageway 45 formed in a lower portion of the case 20. The input/output connection terminals 48 are shorter than the USB connection terminals 44 and are located more rearward than the USB connection terminals 44 so as to keep tip ends of the USB connection terminals 44 exposed. The input/output connection terminals 48 can be connected to corresponding connection terminals of the input/output plug.
However, in the known connection terminal units, the USB connection terminal unit 42 and the input/output connection terminal unit 46 are located on a straight line, which disadvantageously increases a thickness of the entire connection module in proportion to the total thickness of the USB connection terminal unit 42 and the input/output connection terminal unit 46.
More specifically, the above described known connection module 1 cannot meet a need for a slimmer connection module suitable for a slimmer mobile communication terminal.
Moreover, while the number of the USB connection terminals 44 of the USB connection terminal unit 42 is currently standardized to 5 pins, the input/output connection terminal unit 48 is variable in the number of pins according to manufacturers.
Referring to FIG. 6, when the USB plug is inserted into the connection module 1 and is connected to the USB connection terminals 44, the USB plug may be secured to the case 20 as locking bosses (not shown) of the USB plug are inserted into locking receiving passageways 22 perforated in both sides of an upper surface of the case 20.
However, if the number of the input/output connection terminals 48 of the input/output connection terminal unit 46 is increased, providing additional means for fixing the input/output plug is impossible. Therefore, when the input/output plug is connected to the input/output connection terminal unit 46, this connection cannot be fixedly kept.
Although an extra space for formation of eking receiving passageways for fixing of the input/output plug should be provided at both lateral sides of the input/output connection terminals 48 within the case 20, this increases the width of the entire connection module 1, making it impossible to use the connection module 1 in a slim mobile communication device.
In addition, in the above described known connection module 1, because the USB connection terminals 44 are located to penetrate from one side to the other side of the case 20, the USB connection terminals 44 can be integrally insert injection molded with the case 20 during injection molding of the case 20. On the other hand, in the case of the input/output connection terminals 46 each having one end located inside the case 20, an additional core member in the form of the receiving passageway 45 must be introduced for formation of the receiving passageway 45 during injection molding of the case 20 and after the case 20 has been injection molded, additional troublesome operations of removing the core member and inserting the input/output connection terminal 46 into the receiving passageway 45 must be performed.
In particular, the operation of removing the core member after insert injection molding of the case 20 is time consuming and troublesome and increases manufacturing costs.